Reprinted from The Connecticut Post © Copyright 2009
May 20, 2009

Reading Dee Mason's letter ("Keep in mind what's right in Trumbull," Connecticut Post, May 5) left me scratching my head. Whenever anyone has the temerity to stand up and ask questions or present information as it relates to the Baldwin administration, they are branded as "negative." The truth apparently hurts. Every Trumbull voter must ask this question. If the Baldwin team wasn't concerned about public perception and if they were confident in their record and the people's opinion of that record, would they be writing all these letters trying to paint their leader in a positive light? Trumbull voters are smart enough to see through the smoke and mirrors. Trumbull voters know the record of the Baldwin team.

The record of the Baldwin team is pretty straightforward. Taxes are up more than 50 percent, spending is up more than 50 percent, and our average yearly increases are 6 percent. Our pension fund is one of the worst funded in the region. Our downtown is vacant and in a state of disrepair. An expensive school renovation project is happening here in Trumbull and dividing our community. This while class size is still high and we still do not have full-day kindergarten in Trumbull.

In her letter, Ms. Mason says that First Selectman Ray Baldwin is the "go-to guy you can always count on." Members of the Trumbull Town Council were counting on Ray Baldwin two months ago, Ms. Mason. They were counting on him when he assured them that the state of Connecticut would provide $750,000 in state reimbursement for a standalone swimming pool to be included as part of the high school renovation project. Mr. Baldwin and a consultant on this project told the Trumbull taxpayers that the reimbursement was locked in.

Two months after the Town Council vote, we receive notification from the state that the pool will not be reimbursable. In addition to losing the $750,000, what about the tens of thousands of dollars we lost in architectural and site planning fees for the designing of this pool? For what? Nothing! Is this leadership we can count on, Ms. Mason?

I am not disputing that Ray Baldwin is a nice person. As a past PTA co-president and current PTA vice president I've dealt with him numerous times, and yes -- he is nice. But that doesn't make someone a good leader and it certainly doesn't make someone a good manager. Why didn't Baldwin's legal team confirm in writing that the monies were reimbursable, before we went through all the time, money and argument over this pool? This is more than a mistake. This is a major serious lapse in oversight that calls into question the process as a whole. How can we, the taxpayers of Trumbull, be confident that reimbursement for the balance of the high school renovation will be guaranteed? For that matter, how can we have confidence in any of the promises made by the Baldwin administration?

Ann Marie Evangelista
Trumbull